Blog

Several campuses across the nation have recently received this fraud attempt. Below is some information from EIIA Risk Management.
EIIA has learned at least four Members were recently targeted in a wire transfer scheme involving a fake email from the College President requesting a wire transfer of funds.
In its August 25, 2014 blog on this topic, the FTC referred to this type of scheme as “masquerading.” The blog warns of a scheme where “a hacker poses as a senior executive and asks an employee to complete a financial...

Baseball Season has started. Let the Games begin! Our Annual Meeting has selected the players, the Team is ready to take to the field and deliver to you professional development that is sure to be a homerun! One of our star players for this event is Jim Morris, a retired American professional baseball player. You will have the opportunity to hear his story about the motivation he had in making it to his career achievements particularly in Major League Baseball.
Baseball has so many similarities to themes we hear and see in our workplace...

I thought I would share a small piece of history for those of you who are eager to hear Tom Jackson, our first General Session speaker for this year’s Annual Meeting in San Antonio (April 13-15, 2014). Today, Texas boasts a very robust and growing population and economy. During the past year, at a Texas Association of Business Officer’s meeting, we received a presentation on how our demographics were shaping up. We benefit from a growing influx of individuals and families from other states. Enrollments at most Texas higher...

The 2nd annual SACUBO benchmarking project is currently underway. We had the honor of discussing the results of last year’s benchmarking project with SACUBO Fall Workshop participants in November which gave us the opportunity to really dig into the numbers. Here a couple of insights:
1. Although SACUBO is comprised of a diverse membership, we found that even though the actual amounts were different, the overall three-year trends were similar for all the constituent groups with the exception of a few outliers. For example, we...

Blog written by Janice Ratica, CPA, JD
Partner, National Leader, Nonprofit Tax Services
The IRS Exempt Organization Group issued its annual Workplan in February 2013, which provides a summary of the IRS initiatives for the current fiscal year. The Workplan indicates that the IRS will continue to scrutinize unrelated business income (“UBI”), particularly organizations that report a significant amount of gross income, but report a loss or no income tax due on the Form 990-T.
As most colleges and universities are aware, the IRS sent a...

Guest Post by: Jeff Fucito, Aleisa Howell and Mary Jo Alexander, Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC.
The Internal Revenue Service anticipates that exempt organizations will engage in activities that may be in competition with private business endeavors; but to be non taxable, the activities must be substantially related to the purpose for which the organization has an exemption status. Section 513(c) states “the term ‘trade or business ‘includes any activity which is carried on for the production of income from the sale of goods or...

By Larry Ladd, Director, National Higher Education Practice, Grant Thornton LLP
It’s the question most talked about within the industry: is the business model outmoded? Will we see fundamental change?
First let’s be clear about what is meant by the current business model, or more accurately the “typical” business model:
Land-based classrooms, with faculty teaching and students learning, on a fixed schedule.
Extensive physical plants that include not only classroom, offices, libraries,...

Monday, April 22 10:20 AM – 11:10 AM | Hanover G
During the SACUBO Conference in Atlanta, we’ll be focusing our conference session on the hard hitting issues facing 403(b) plan sponsors as they work to protect themselves from fiduciary liability and help their faculty and staff achieve retirement success. We’ll review specific topics including:
Fiduciary 101, Basic Responsibilities
The processes and procedures used by leading administrative committees to ensure they are meeting their fiduciary duties regarding their 403(b) plan...

Blog Submitted by Bruce Alperin, Senior Director
Outside the media focus and headlines demanding that higher education reinvent itself, another threat is looming. Although receiving far less attention than other challenges, it has the potential to seriously disrupt campus operation.
The facilities management industry is facing a skilled trades shortage.
Long recognized by industry trade associations, the shortage portends a difficult period for unprepared campuses. For example, in 2010 participants of the APPA Thought...

One of the challenges for educational institutions is determining how much to spend from their investment pools to fulfill their missions and fiduciary responsibilities. In this period of challenging investment performance, how does a committee determine an appropriate amount?
Please join endowment and spending thought leader, Verne O. Sedlacek, at the 2013 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia on April 22 to engage in a discussion that will result in recognizing the dynamics and implications of different spending rates and methods with...